LONDON, January 16, 2009: The announcement today that Honda will halt
production at its Swindon
plant for the months of April and May this year has been met with dismay by
Unite, the UK's biggest union.

Reacting to the news that there will be a further shutdown in addition
to
the two month stoppage over February and March, Derek Simpson, joint
general
secretary for Unite said:

"This latest, additional shutdown underlines the urgent need for state
assistance for our car industry. With demand for Honda's products collapsed
and a plunge in this year's production figures, one of our leading plants
must stand idle for four months.

"Now, the Honda workforce is facing a 50 percent cut in wages, and are
frightened for their jobs and futures. They, along with the rest of the car
and components industry, desperately need to see some form of lifeline
being
thrown to the sector from the Government. We also need immediate financial
support for workers, such as those at Honda, who must take a cut in pay in
order to keep their jobs."

"Our car industry is taking a battering and it urgently needs state
assistance. This is a no brainer - we must get credit lines running and
above
all, hear from Government that its priority is to keep people in work."

"Ministers must stop dilly-dallying. Aid for our car industry is now a
matter of urgency, including money to support workers who must take a
dramatic cut in wages to hang onto their jobs. While the US, Germany and
our
other competitors are teeing up their second assistance schemes to protect
their manufacturing sector, our country has yet to implement its first. If
we
do not have action now, our industry will not be fit for purpose when the
economic upturn comes."

Local Unite officer, Jim D'Avila added: "Our members are stunned, and
worried about what next. They know that the severe drop in demand means
pain
for the workforce but we are working with the management team at Honda to
ensure that people are kept in work. Our priority now is to save jobs and
help the workforce through these very tough times."